Hegseth Orders Annual Testosterone Tests for Troops Over 30 as Experts Cite 20% Long-Term Decline
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 12
Hegseth Orders Annual Testosterone Tests for Troops Over 30 as Experts Cite 20% Long-Term Decline
3 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 12
Summary
Annual testosterone checks will be required for U.S. service members over 30 under a Pentagon policy Hegseth says will keep “warfighters” on the “leading edge of lethality.”
Medical experts say broad screening is not recommended for symptom-free men and is especially pointless for roughly 90,000 female service members over 30, because low-testosterone testing in women is generally not advised.
Researchers also warn the program could generate false positives and overdiagnosis: one major testosterone study screened more than 50,000 men to find 800 who qualified as low-testosterone cases.
The policy lands amid evidence that male testosterone has fallen over decades—one review found a roughly 20% drop over half a century—though causes remain unclear, with obesity, less physical labor and endocrine-disrupting chemicals all under scrutiny.